Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, November 6, 2025

Episode Date: November 7, 2025

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, mass flight cancellations have begun as the FAA begins slashing airport capacity across the country just weeks before the busiest travel season of the year. 40 major airports and hubs from Chicago to Dallas to New York bracing for cuts as the longest government shutdown stretches into its second month. How that move could impact your upcoming travel plans this weekend. Also tonight, disturbing new video showing the moment the UPS plane erupted into a deadly ball. fire. Nine people still unaccounted for as authorities searched for answers in the debris field. And will popular weight loss drugs soon cost as little as $50 for millions of Americans? We look into the fine print after today's White House announcement and my interview with the CEO of Eli Lilly, the surprising tradeoff he told me about that played into his deal

with the White House. Antonio Brown extradited the mugshot just released of the former NFL star after allegedly evading arrest in Dubai, the attempted murder charge he's now facing back on U.S. soil. The path of destruction, a deadly typhoon ripping through Southeast Asia, more than 100 people dead with dozens still missing. Caught on camera. Video showing the moment a car in New York City erupts into a massive fireball, injuring multiple firefighters in the blast.

And Starbucks Cup chaos lines at 3 a.m., fights breaking out in stores. Why, a Bear Cup? is causing all the coffee commotion. Plus, Tesla shareholders just approving Elon Musk's trillion-dollar payday what it means for the richest man in the world. Top story starts right now. And good evening. We begin tonight with the looming air travel chaos, sweeping flight cuts going into effect

in just hours, and the timing couldn't be worse with just weeks to go until that busy holiday travel season. Starting tomorrow morning. travelers can expect flight cuts at 40 cities across the U.S., slashing options at major hubs like New York, L.A., Chicago, and Dallas. The list goes on and on. The FAA ordering the cuts due to staffing shortages made worse by the government shutdown, as air traffic controllers and TSA employees have been working without a paycheck for more than a month. So what does that look like tomorrow? Well, American Airlines canceling 220 flights. United says it's slashing 188 flights,

Delta, cutting 170, and Southwest cancelling roughly 100 more. And while lawmakers have been meeting to end the shutdown, so far, there's no deal inside. Ryan Nobles has been followed in all. He leads us off tonight from Washington. Tonight, airports across America bracing for a massive rollback. We're about safety. We're about making sure people's flights go from point A to point B, and people get on them and off them safely. The Trump administration rolling out a plan to reduce traffic at 40 airports by 10 percent,

starting tomorrow. Airports in cities like Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Houston will be impacted. An industry source telling NBC news it will begin with a gradual cut of 4% of flights for the first four days. The FAA says its proactive measure is to keep flyers safe amid air traffic control staffing issues that have only gotten worse during the government shutdown. This is a result of 37 days of no pay and issues mounting on top of an already fragile system. It's already led to delays nationwide and long security lines like these. It's not good. We cannot have these cuts. This is very important. Travel's important. United already canceling 188 flights tomorrow. Delta cancelling 170. The airlines say most passengers will be unaffected. But United,

American Southwest and Delta are all offering refunds to anyone impacted. I will say because I have not taken extra precautions. It is increasing my stress level. But while airline travel is up in the air, relief may be on the way for millions of SNAP benefit recipients as a judge orders the administration to fully fund the program by Friday. Judge John McConnell writing in his order, people have gone without for too long. All right, Ryan Noble joins us tonight from Reagan National Airport. Ryan, as we focus on this aviation part of the shutdown, is there any glimmer of hope that Republicans and Democrats will come together for the better of the country and figure this out?

Tom, there are faint signs of progress, but I emphasize the word faint. There have been some bipartisan talks, and those talks have yielded some success, almost to the point where Senate Republicans are prepping a vote tomorrow on the Senate floor that would open up the door to a potential package that would lead to the shutdown coming to an end. The issue here, though, is that there really isn't a deal quite yet. Senate Democrats do not feel that Republicans have come far enough in their offers to end the shutdown. So as things stand, it still looks as though this could drag into next week, which means these cuts to airport traffic across the country are only going to grow over the next couple of days. As we've reported, at least four percent

for the next four days, the FAA will review it after that, and they could increase up to 10 percent sometime next week. Tom. All right, Ryan Noble's for us for a cent. Ryan, we thank you. Thank you. Now to the other major aviation story we're following tonight the investigation into that firing UPS plane crash in Louisville. As we get disturbing new video of the moment of impact, here's Tom Costello. NTSB investigators are tonight examining new dash cam video that captured the fully engulfed MD11 cargo plane climbing to 475 feet before crashing into several businesses as witnesses ran for their lives. Sean Garber owns grade A auto parts. All of those folks, plus everyone else has showed up to work, Tuesday morning, expected to go home.

And they didn't. And that's not what, that's not how it's supposed to be. Tonight, the governor says a 13th victim has died. As UPS says, it's with great sadness that it shares the names of the three pilots who died. Captain Richard Wartonberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond. Nine people are still missing. There is so much charred, mangled metal that not all the bodies may have been located until you look underneath certain things. The National Guard today testing air quality levels at the crash site.

Technicians in Washington have downloaded the plane's charred black boxes, revealing 63 hours of data, including 23 previous flights and two hours of cockpit conversations. We will do everything we need to to find out what happened. to figure out how to keep it from happening again. A key focus, the left side engine found between runways and the pylon that held it in place. Video captured it coming off the wing, then the fire. Investigators are looking at the 34-year-old UPS plane's six-week maintenance work in San Antonio. An FAA report shows the inspection found corrosion in the center bilge area below the fuel tank and a center-wing upper fuel tank lower crack requiring a repair.

Cracks and corrosion are common in heavy plane maintenance. Tom Costello joins us tonight live from Louisville's airport, and Tom, UPS has a number of these planes in its fleet. We just saw what you're reporting there. Will they be re-inspected? So far, there's no word of that. I will tell you, I have talked to some UPS pilots who are worried, nervous, about flying the MD-11, if there isn't some sort of a fleet inspection. Specifically, I asked the NTSB, a board member who's here.

Is there any suggestion that that maintenance work in San Antonio was on that engine or affected the pylon that was supposed to hold it in place and he said they're still looking at that? They don't know yet. However, if the NTSB comes across any information suggesting this could be a bigger problem beyond this one plane that it could affect other MD11s, they will not hesitate in flagging this and the FAA urging the FAA to take action. I will tell you, Tom, the UPS has 25 MD11. in its fleet. The average age is about 30, and that's not unusual for these cargo planes flying worldwide. All right, Tom Costello for us tonight. Tom, we thank you. Now at Virginia, where a jury has awarded a former teacher millions of dollars. She sued after she was shot by a six-year-old student at the school, and an administrator didn't do enough to stop it. Here's Stephanie Goss. In Virginia Civil Court today. We, the jury, on the issues joined, find in favor of the plan. The jury, deciding former assistant principal Ebony Parker, could have done more. Finding her actions in 2023 grossly negligent when a six-year-old brought a gun to school and shot Abigail Zwerner, his first-grade teacher.

These body cam videos capturing the chaotic moments after the shooting. Zwerner, who lives with the bullet still lodged next to her spine, was awarded $10 million. Her attorneys reacting to the decision moments later. She's smiling, her mother's smiling, and her sister's crying. The less than two-week trial included dramatic testimony from Zwerner herself. I thought I had died. Other teachers also took the stand, testifying how they warned the assistant principal multiple times. How many times did you tell Dr. Parker?

Three times. Defense tried to argue that even with those warnings, no one could have predicted what would happen. It was a tragedy that until that day was unprecedented. It was unthinkable and it was unforeseeable. But school shootings are tragedies that do happen in this country. And this case may broaden who was considered accountable. This case was a test case and we're likely to see more litigation when there are school shootings, trying to hold the school and others responsible.

The child's mother is in prison, serving nearly four years for gun charges and child neglect. Okay, and it's not done here, right, Stephanie, the former assistant principal we just saw there, criminal charges possible? and possible prison time. She faces eight felony charges of child endangerment. Also, the civil case is definitely not over there, very likely to appeal the decision today, Tom. Okay. Stephanie Goss, great to see you here in studio. We're going to turn back to politics in a major announcement from Nancy Pelosi. The California Democrat, who has spent decades as one of the most influential women in politics, announcing she will retire from Congress

at the end of her term. Here's Hallie Jackson with the details. The motion is adopted. The end of an era tonight. for Democrats and for one of the country's most powerful women in politics ever. I will not be seeking re-election to Congress. 85-year-old Nancy Pelosi announcing her retirement. We have always led the way. And now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy. Pelosi was first elected to represent San Francisco nearly 40 years ago,

ultimately becoming in 2007 the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House. Today we have broken the marble ceiling. Pelosi helped shepherd the Affordable Care Act into law under President Obama and pushed a climate and health care law under President Biden before wielding her influence to nudge him out of the 2024 race. And with President Trump, Pelosi became a chief antagonist, controversially tearing up his 2020 State of the Union remarks and going after him as recently as this week.

He's just a vile creature. the worst thing on the face of the earth. President Trump, late today. I think she's an evil woman. I'm glad she's retired. Some Republicans have questioned the millions she and her husband made in stock trades, with Pelosi brushing off accusations of insider trading, saying she's not involved in her husband's investment choices.

Pelosi has faced the threat of political violence. Three years ago, Paul Pelosi was attacked in the couple's home. Today, her focus on her constituents as she steps away from the chamber she shaped for decades. She is the most effective speaker in American history. Looking ahead, Pelosi's retirement may send a signal to other long-serving Democrats to make room for younger leaders. Tom? All right, Hallie Jackson for us. Also tonight, the conclusion to a closely watched trial in Washington, D.C.

You might remember this moment during the president's crackdown in the nation's capital, a man launching a subway sandwich at a federal agent before sprinting away, agents dashing after him. Former Justice Department paralegal Sean Dunn was charged with a single minimum. misdemeanor in this case actually went to trial. And our senior justice reporter Ryan Riley was in the courtroom as the verdict was read. So Ryan, tell us what happened in court today? Essentially, the jury here rejected the charges against this individual. Formerly a grand jury decided not to charge him with a felony, but here he was charged with this misdemeanor offense, and the jury decided that he was not guilty of that. They had a couple of questions for the judge. But I think the underlying current of this is that D.C. residents have not been able to sort of register

their dissent against many of the things that were imposed upon them by the Trump administration. So I think nullification was sort of the underlying current of this case, because as you see there on video, Tom, it's pretty clear what happened here. The question that was posed to jurors was whether this was a misdemeanor offense and jurors came back with a not guilty verdict. Yeah, so Ryan, so can people just, anyone, go up to now a law enforcement? officer, ICE agents, and just throw peanut butter jelly. I mean, I don't know if that was a subway club, what that sandwich was. Can they just throw them at these law enforcement officers and nothing's going to happen? I think in D.C. it's a particular sort of scenario because, remember,

members of people who live in D.C. don't have a vote in Congress. So basically, the way that they are registering their dissent, sort of through the nullification process here, is saying that we disagree with the way that the Trump administration is moving forward here. We didn't get a chance really to speak with any of the jurors about their final decision, but they did ask some detailed questions about what qualified as an assault here. But this was an individual who the person who was assaulted here did make some jokes about it afterward. He had a plush sandwich, he had a patch that said, you know, felony footlong. So this wasn't necessarily a serious event in his life.

And I think that's what the defense here was really underlining. This was not sort of a serious event in his life that would necessarily lead to federal charges. Meanwhile, obviously, this individual has lost their lives. So I think the broader political context was certainly something that was looming over this case in general with DC residents not being able to register. It could start the cold cut protest movement,

which could be a new thing in DC. A couple other things, the jurors were actually eating sandwiches while they're deliberating? They were. That's an NBC exclusive. I found out from a source familiar with juror lunches that they were served sandwiches during deliberations here. They spent about probably six hours overall deliberating this. They started

yesterday and then they continued into today. But yeah, that's what they were served up was sandwiches from the cafeteria of the D.C. federal court. Yeah, I mean, if I was the U.S. attorney, I made appeal. That sounds like bias right there from the get-go. But, Ryan, great details. We thank you for joining Top Story tonight. Thanks so much. Okay, we're going to be back in a moment more on the broadcast tonight. Former NFL star Antonio Brown extradited back to the U.S. did murder charges the mugshot just released. And the Trump administration striking a deal to expand access and lower the cost of those popular weight loss drugs, what it could mean for millions of Americans, I question the CEO of Eli Lilly about it. Plus Starbucks sending

customers into a frenzy with its new barista cup. People are going nuts for this thing. The chaotic scenes playing out at stores as coffee lovers scramble to get their hands on the mug. Stay with us. Okay, we are back now with a devastating loss for the NFL. A 24-year-old Dallas Cowboys player found dead following a police chase. Ryan Chandler's in Texas tonight. Tonight, a shocking loss, rocking the NFL. Dallas Cowboys' defensive end, Marshawn Neeland, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound

following a police chase late Wednesday night, Frisco police say. The 24-year-old's vehicle evaded state troopers during a brief pursuit. Officials say crashing near the team's headquarters. Neeland fled the scene on foot. During the search, authorities were told Neeland had expressed suicidal ideations. Dispatch audio indicates Neelan's girlfriend called police. She's saying he is armed and has a history of mental illness. And her quote was, he will end it all.

The audio later reveals he allegedly sent a message to his family. A group text saying, him saying goodbye, is concerned for his welfare. NEELAND played at Western Michigan University. He was in his second season with the Cowboys and just scored his first career touchdown on Monday night. Neelan the touchdown! His teammates embracing him in celebration. His cousin tonight, remembering him as so much more than a football player. He was really all about family.

He had an infectious smile, a great laugh, just a boisterous personality, physical. physically he was a he was a big guy but talking to him he was just very humble the team and the football world mourning the promising young talent Ryan you joining us now from frisco texas here we see the memorial just behind you you had a chance to speak with one of his cousins what more do they tell you his cousin Nicole there gave a real intimate and revealing look into what this young man was dealing with the kind of pressure he was up against was a lot for anybody let alone a 24-year-old young man. She describes that he was up against a lot of professional pressure,

the eyes of the world on him every Sunday in the NFL, but also that was worsened with a simultaneous navigation of real personal grief. He lost his mother just last year before he was picked to join the Cowboys in the second round of the NFL draft and trying to navigate that grief and that pressure really weighed on him. She said that he never expressed explicit concerns about his, mental health, but certainly he was up against a lot. And tragically, that ended in death last night. But they are choosing to remember him, as you see, in the memorial behind me, as a man

who left a lot, not just on the field, but left a lot to his friends and family as well, Tom. Yeah, and you're there in Friscoe. What exactly are fans saying tonight? We've seen a number of fans come out here. This is a plaza where fans join joyously to watch games every Sunday. Now you see his face is here as fans come to share their respects and remember him. I talked to one fan who came all the way from New Jersey to see that game on Monday, see his very first touchdown that Neelan scored. He said that he just got Neelan's rookie card, and that's certainly something that he'll be cherishing even more tonight, Tom. Okay, Ryan Chandler for us here on Top Story. Ryan, we thank you. If you know someone who's in

crisis right now. Please call or text 988 to reach the suicide and crisis lifeline. Another headline we're following in the sports world tonight. Authority seen former NFL star Antonio Brown has been extradited from Dubai back to the U.S. to stand trial for attempted murder in connection

with a shooting outside of a boxing event in Miami. You can hear shots ringing out during the chaotic scene back in May. Listen. Investigators are alleging Brown shot another man possibly grazing him in the neck after a fight broke out. After the incident, Brown wrote, quote,

I was jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewelry and caused physical harm to me. Brown was once regarded as one of the best wide receivers in the league, winning a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2021. I want to bring in NBC News legal analyst Misty Maris to break this down. Mitzi, what's your reaction to the extradition announcement? Because it sounds pretty bad. If you're on the run, they've got to bring you back from Dubai.

You're starting off on the wrong foot. Yeah, absolutely. And think about this is five months ago. process can take a long time, months or even years, so it's certainly something that looks like it had been in the works for a while. Going back, the arrest warrant was issued in June, on June 11th, and at the time, Tom, his lawyer was able to get him out on a $10,000 bond and house arrest, but he was abroad during that time, but he never turned himself in. So we can all safely say that will not be on the table when he returns and he's released to Miami.

Amy Dade, and he'll likely be behind bars through his trial. How much is this going to hurt his trial and the start for his defense team? Well, so as far as his state level trial, he's going to be facing second-degree murder charges with a deadly weapon. So that's a very, very serious charge. But if he was, in fact, on the run, as it optically looks like, there could also be a federal component. Remember, he was brought back by U.S. Marshals, since extradition is between the two countries, there's a federal element to that. So there's a possibility we see more to this. than even what's on the book.

Do the prosecutors use that in their opening statement? Say, hey, this guy fled to Dubai. If he was innocent, why did he leave? I think not only will you see issues regarding his staying in Dubai, failure to turn himself in, you will also see a whole host of social media posts about his lavish lifestyle while in Dubai that will also feed into his criminal prosecution.

What did he think? I mean, do you know what the, and I know you can't get inside his head, but what do you think the strategy was to escape, if you will, to Dubai? You know, it could have just been that he didn't understand the consequences. Could have been something more nefarious. I'm sure we're going to hear about that as this case unfolds. Yeah, because we have a relationship with the UAE, so it's kind of strange that he would pick Dubai. But you never know.

Where does this case go from here and what kind of sentence if convicted could he be faced? So because this is second-degree murder with a deadly weapon that would normally be 15, but that's an enhancement. So it's 25 years. The next steps he'll have his initial appearance. We'll have that bond hearing where I think you're going to see, you know, what are the elements? You're looking at whether or not somebody is a flight risk, so almost certain to have any sort of bond or bail denied, and then we'll be on our way to trial. If he beats this case, is he still in trouble for fleeing? He could potentially be.

You know, there's no charges at this point on the federal side. Is it too early? It could just be coming. It could be coming. But I will say, Tom, we know that from that post that he had made shortly after this incident looks like he's going to raise a self-defense type argument. We know there's a lot of video. We know there's a lot of witnesses. So this is going to be a case that will play out likely before a jury.

Yeah. And then I want to ask you also, so you keep saying federal charges. There's no state charges if he fled or if he? There's a potential for that to be tacked on, absolutely. But when you're talking about the flaying out of the country needing to be apprehended by U.S. Marshals, that becomes a federal issue. And the penalties under the federal law are often more severe than under the state of equivalents. Bestie, always great to see you. Thanks for being here. Coming up, the terrifying explosion caught on camera, the huge fireball, lighting up a street in New York City leaving several firefighters hurt. Plus, Tesla shareholders officially signing off on a trillion dollar package for Elon Musk, what it means for the world's richest person. But first, you know what time it is, top story's top moment, an annual tradition kicking off the holiday season in upstate New York this morning.

You heard it right there. That is the sound of the 20. 25 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree making its way from East Greenbush, New York, all the way to the big apple, the cutting down of the 75-foot-tall Norway spruce, trying a crowd of festive revelers, including, oh, yeah, you see him there, the big man himself. This is one of those once-a-lifetime things. You know, you see a baseball team win or something like that, but you only see a tree taken down once in your life. Santa Claus, a little mix of the Grateful Dead there, weighing in on this. The 75-year-old tree will be delivered to Rockefeller Center on November 8th, where it will be decorated with more than 50,000 lights, and you can tune into the highly anticipated tree lighting ceremony

on Wednesday, December 3rd, right here on NBC. We can't wait. Or NBC News, the mothership, I should say. We're looking forward to it. Stay with us. More news on the way. We are back down with the big announcement from the Trump administration today, partnering with major health care companies to expand access and lower costs for popular weight loss drugs.

In a moment, I'll speak with the CEO of one of those companies, Eli Lilly. What he told me about the surprise reason, one of them, they made the deal. But first, Liz Croix, with the savings Americans, could start seeing next year. Tonight, President Trump announcing a deal with drug makers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk aimed at lowering the cost of popular weight loss drugs, Zeppound and Wagovi. This is tremendous savings. And also making this announcement about the federal government's role and making those drugs more accessible for patients

who meet certain medical criteria. Medicare and Medicaid will finally cover the cost of these weight loss drugs or millions of patients suffering from obesity. Later next year, the White House says eligible Medicare recipients won't pay more than $50 a month for the drugs. And for Medicaid recipients, who states opting, in, the cost to patients could be zero. It's a big deal.

For those like Jen Barcone in Los Angeles, who pays out of pocket for Eli Lilly's Zepound, savings could begin in January. How much are you currently paying for this every month? $600. Is that a stretch for your family? Absolutely. I mean, $600 a month is more than our car payment. Barconne has lost 35 pounds since she began taking the drug nine months ago.

Her monthly costs could now go down $150. What it means is that I can stay. on this for longer. It'll enable me to continue without having to worry about the cost implications. Under the new agreement, the cost for these drugs will range between roughly $150 and $450 a month depending on dosage and whether it's an injectable or new pill. Eli Lilly says it's also now getting three years of tariff relief from the administration. All right, Liz, Chris, joins us tonight from L.A. Liz, good to see you. Let's talk about sort of this weight loss pill, still awaiting that fast-track approval. What could that mean for Americans once it gets approved?

Yeah, Tom, we should first point out that it is highly unusual for a drug company to come out and give the price of a drug before it has even had FDA approval. That is what's happening here. What we know is that just like if you're using an injectable, one of the pens, the cost of it is really going to depend on what your dosage is and also how you're paying for. Are you paying for it out of pocket or are you paying for it through Medicare or Medicaid? Eli Lilly has said that for its lowest dosage of this pill. It is going to be a pretty significant savings for a lot of folks. They're pricing it at just $149 a month.

Tom. All right, Liz Kreutz, we thank you. For more on the president's announcement today, I want to bring in David Ricks. He's the chair and CEO of Eli Lilly. David, thanks so much for joining us tonight. I really do appreciate it. You just got into business with the Trump administration,

with what's likely one of your most popular drugs. Why? Yeah, Tom, thanks for having me on. Thanks for having me on. Today's a big announcement for Americans who suffer from obesity overweight. You know, we know that these medicines we've invented like our Zepbound have had many breakthroughs preventing chronic disease, but they've been out of reach for too many people because of costs. We really need coverage. And today's announcement is about coverage for seniors. So we agreed with the Trump administration to enable coverage starting next spring

for our medication and others for $50 a month. That's a huge reduction. from what the out-of-pocket costs are today. We're proud to do that. We think it's going to help so many people, and at the same time, really address the chronic disease crisis in Medicare, which is costing too much, and people are having too many complications with. It's not $50 for everyone, so in the plainest terms, if you can, for our viewers, please explain sort of how it's going to cost with Zepbound under this new deal.

Well, today, Medicare beneficiaries have no access to Zepbound. So they're buying out-of-pocket, if they're using it, probably from our direct, Lily-Direct platform, and they're paying $500 a month for most doses. Under this program, that cost will go to $50 a month. And it will be $50 for every Medicare beneficiary. Is there a discount for people that don't have Medicare or Medicaid? So we're going to take this deal and shop it around. Part of this deal is that we'll go to every state.

So for everyone who has Medicaid, and there's 90 million people with Medicaid, and the rates of obesity and Medicaid are higher than the general population. We're going to ask the states if they want to sign up for this very same price point and offering. And we hope many do. Today, only about 10 or 12 states cover obesity medications. So that's a great opportunity for people who use Medicaid. And in the private market and in ACA plans and other commercial offerings, we're also going to take new offers out with both our popular drug Zepbound,

but also the new drug that will be approved under this agreement very shortly, which is our oral GLP-1 called Orphorglopron. And this will be another offer we can put in the market for those that prefer an oral option. We're going to talk about that in a moment. You have said that this agreement is part of what you call a, quote, established commitment to affordability. And yet it took a deal with the United States government for you to lower these prices. If you really wanted to make these drugs more affordable, you set your own prices. Why don't you just lower them without the Trump administration? getting involved? Well, three things here, Tom. First of all, every other medical product we consume is typically subsidized through our medical

benefits. But for some archaic and historic reasons, obesity has been discriminated against. It's been eliminated from these benefits, and that's a past. But that's probably because we didn't have effective medications that were safe. Now we do. We think they should be included in the medical benefit. As part of that, we then negotiate down the price so that patients pay a lot less, not not the price that is out there in the system, but they're co-pay. And that's what the $50

represents. And then we offer a better deal to the insurance company. And that's what's been achieved here, only in this case it's the federal government for all Medicare beneficiaries. Two other things have happened, though. Last year at this time, you might have interviewed me and we talked about a shortage. These medications were so popular we were selling out. There's no way to either lower the price or expand access if you haven't solved the manufacturing problems. And we have solved those. We've invested now 27 billion new dollars in U.S. plants and factories. We've hired tens of thousands of workers. We're making the medicines at scale and we're very confident now we can supply. And the third is the oral availability, which we just discussed,

which has tremendous supply capability, but also can reach so many more people. So for those reasons this came together today. I want to play you something that President Trump has said repeatedly about drug prices. This is from a cabinet meeting this summer. Let's take a listen. The cost of medicine all over the world is much cheaper than the United States, because for years the world pushed us around, including our friends. And you go to Germany, you go to England, you go to different places, and you go to a store, and it's sometimes 10% of what we pay in the United States, because they said, nope, we're not paying any more. David, how would you respond to that, and why have Americans been paying far more for so long? Well, the response to that is actually today's announcement, because Lilly and a few other companies have agreed to equalize those prices, both for these popular weight loss medications like Zepbound, but also for all new medicines going forward. We actually agree that there's no reason why Americans should pay more, and that Europeans and other wealthy nations should pay their fair share.

So we're agreeing with that. We're normalizing that today. We need the help of the government to give broad access to our medications here in the U.S., but also to work with us to really drive better trade terms with our trading partners in Europe so they can allow us to introduce the products at prices competitive with the U.S. Today they force us to lower our prices, and as an individual company, we really don't have a lot. We can do about that. But together with the government and the U.S. trade representative, we have plans to go do that,

to improve conditions in Europe for our industry. We know the Biden administration was trying to get a deal on weight-loss drugs under Medicare. Would you have done this deal with any other president? I would have done this with any president, any governor, any CEO of a private insurance plan, and I will. I actually never got a call from the Biden administration about this. We were trying to work with Congress to pass an act that would actually force the administration and all administrations to cover these medications. that has not passed. So here, in lieu of that, we're making a deal with President Trump. And we would have done that, though, with any party or any president. Our mission is to get

medicines that really improve health to millions of people, and this is enabling that. That's why we signed up. Yeah. You've been talking about your oral medication that is coming down the pipeline. People may notice that your oral weight loss pill is still awaiting FDA approval. Now you've just made a deal with the Trump administration. Should people read into that? Well, as part of the deal, they've agreed to give us an expedited approval. The clinical trials are all done. David, is that ethical because that may concern people an expedited approval? Well, there have been expedited approval mechanisms for decades.

So I don't think it's anything particularly new. What's new is they're linking it to this access deal. But to enable the access, we really do need the oral medication to be reviewed more quickly. It's simply putting, like the other priority review vouchers out there, putting our file at the top of the stack. And so that will be sent to the FDA now in the next few weeks. And we expect them to put their resources on it and review it quickly. I don't expect them to cut any corners. And we certainly wouldn't submit the medicine if we didn't see it as safe and effective. The trials are all complete and they're published. So the oral medication essentially gets fast-tracked, if you will.

Under this deal, Eli Lilly is getting three years of tariff relief as well. Are those the reasons you ultimately decided to do this? The primary reason was access. We're trading lower prices for more volume in a business sense, but more importantly, we're getting our medicines to the people who need them. I mean, that's why we invented them. This is a good day for patients. I can tell you, I'm getting texts all day from scientists at our company who invented the medication. This is why they went to work in our industry. From manufacturing workers who are working, by the way, 24-7 to make enough of this, they're happy that access can be expanded to their friends and neighbors. So kind of everybody wins here, Tom. What would you say that Eli Lilly is giving up and or sacrificing in this

because like you said, in every good deal someone gives up something, what do you think Lily's giving up? Well, next year, our prices will fall faster than they would have otherwise to these new low levels, these international levels, this special deal for Medicare. And if states take us up on it, they'll also get that pricing. In return, we hope volume builds. Now, we have to go, you know, convince doctors that this is a good choice and patients need to agree and adopt it. That's the risk we're taking. But that's the business we're in, Tom. That's why we go to work every day. day to make breakthrough medicines and then get them to the people. So this helps expand that opportunity. Finally, David, how many lives do you think you're going to change with this new deal?

Well, I think in Medicare alone, it's about 30 to 40 million people. Today, there's a little less than 10 million people benefiting from GOP ones for weight loss, and that will quadruple or so instantly. If we can sign up more states, more commercial plans, we could see the vast majority of Americans with access at low out-of-pocket costs, $50 in Medicare here, and even lower potentially in Medicaid. So that's the opportunity in front of us. David Ricks, the chair and CEO of Eli Lilly. We thank you so much for your time tonight. Thanks, time. Time now for Top Stories News Feed. We're going to start with Tesla shareholders approving a new pay package for CEO Elon Musk worth up to a trillion dollars. The money is said to be awarded in a series of payments over 10 years,

but that's only if Tesla meets certain performance benchmarks like selling a million humanoid robots. Musk will also need to stay on as the company's CEO for seven and a half years to vest any shares from the new pay package. House Democrats are now asking for a formal interview from the UK's former Prince Andrew. It's all tied to their investigation to convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former prince has denied any wrongdoing connected to Epstein. Andrew's brother, King Charles, officially stripped him, you'll remember, of his prince's title and evicted him from his royal residence. Peloton is recalling more than 800,000 bikes. After getting reports that the seat post can break while it's being used, that sounds terrible.

Peloton says it's at least two people got hurt when they fell off the bike because of the issue. The recall impacts every unit of the company's original bike plus model. They were sold between 2020 and 2025. The company is offering a free seat post that users can install at home. And Starbucks brewing up a festive frenzy with its latest holiday cup with some customers lining up overnight just to get their hands on it. She jumped everybody. It was the first serve. You were not in my...

There was a bear. There was one more. She took it to the back. We won't be serving you today. We won't be selling you a bear. Everybody else was online and they came early. Got crazy. The $30 bear-shaped cup sold out almost instantly

at Starbucks stores across the country, with some customers even willing to brawl for it. It's now showing up on resale sites for hundreds of dollars. Okay. Now to the investigation underway after a massive explosion on a New York City Street, unleashing a massive fireball you can see there. Flames erupting into the air as first responders rushed to the scene. Charles Watson from NBC, New York, has the latest on what might have caused the blast.

The simple flick of a cigarette may have been all it took to cause this. A massive explosion on Fox Street near Westchester Avenue and the Longwood section of the Bronx. You see things like that on TV and other places. I've never seen it like up close in person. The video seemingly showing someone toss a lit cigarette on the sidewalk. Gusty Wendon appears to blow it into a pile of garbage and ignites a fire that eventually spreads to multiple parked cars. Firefighters arrive on scene and within a few moments one of the cars explodes sending a massive fireball several stories in the air. The blast injuring seven firefighters, two of whom are currently hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening.

burns to the face and hands. Our firefighters are awake, alert, and speaking, but they have some serious burns. This morning, crews cleaning up the charred debris sitting in the street. This car totally unrecognizable as its burned remains are towed away. This woman who wants to remain anonymous telling us it was her car that exploded. The mother of two toddlers now forced to figure out other means of transportation. But it's just a concern because the train is not the safest place, especially with two toddlers. Meantime, people who live a stone's throw away from where that fire ignited, thankful tonight, that this didn't turn out much worse.

Yeah, didn't cause any more damage, especially blow the window or two. People who live on this street say the trash that caught fire wasn't even supposed to be here. They say because of the election early this week, trash collection was pushed back a couple of days. Now, in terms of an official cause of the fire, no word yet from the FDNY. Back to you, Tom. All right, Charles, we thank you for that wild story. Still ahead tonight in the broadcast, a massive fire destroying the home of the Miami Heat's head coach. What we're learning tonight and a powerful typhoon wreaking havoc across Southeast Asia.

After killing more than 100 people in the Philippines, the latest on the destruction and the search for survival. drivers. We're back now with a devastating fire at the home of Miami Heat Head Coach Eric Spolstra. Video from the scene shows fire crews battling massive flames. Spolstra watching from the street as the flames engulfed his home. NBC's Jesse Kirsch is in Miami tonight with more. The powerful blaze was captured on camera. He's got a very large house.

The fire is in the rear. Around 4.30 this morning, investigators say firefighters race to the multimillion-dollar home of Miami Heat head coach Eric Spolstra. The house already engulfed in flames with videos showing the roof caved in. We found fire that was as tall as the trees. We also entailed protecting all surrounding homes. so that there were no other structures incorporated into this fire. It remained as a single-family home. No one was injured, and so far authorities have not announced any cause.

There are Spolstra upset. Spolstra is one of the biggest names in basketball. He led LeBron James, Fwayne Wade, and Chris Bosch on back-to-back title runs and was just named head coach for Team USA. Spolster was with the heat in Denver last night and then seen hours later back in Miami, appearing to be in the same clothes, watching his home burn down before even the sun was up. This is one of Miami's riteous neighborhoods, homes hidden behind fences and greenery, which authorities say actually made it harder to save this property.

Due to the privacy wall and a lot of the tree cover, it was very difficult to access with only one point of entry. Now the home has been largely reduced to rubble. The smell of smoke still lingering in the air as the investigation continues. Jesse Kirste joins us tonight from Miami. Jesse, have we heard anything from the Spolster family or the team tonight? So, Tom, the team a short time ago telling us that the coach is declining to comment. But according to the Associated Press, the team says that Spolster does plan to be coaching the team's next game that is at home tomorrow night. Tom.

Jesse Kerr's for us. Jesse, we appreciate it. We do want to move overseas now on Top Story to Global Watch with an update on the deadly crisis in Sudan. A paramilitary group that's been at war with the country's military for years now agreeing to a humanitarian truce. It was proposed by a U.S.-led mediator group, by a U.S. led mediator group. A Sudan military official tells the AP it will only agree to the deal once the paramilitary group gives up its weapons and withdraws from civilian areas. A new report out today shows auditors in France told the Louvre to upgrade its security ahead of that sweeping jewelry heist. But instead of doing that, it says the Louvre,

spent money on buying new pieces of art. A French newspaper also claims a 2014 report showed the password for the museum's CCTV close-circuit TV network with simply Louvre. NBC News reached out to the agency behind that report, which did not deny it. Okay, moving on, a massive rescue operation in South Korea after a collapse at a power station. Video shows the steel structure mangled and toppled over. Fire officials say crews were preparing to demolish the structure when the accident happened. They say at least five people are believed to be trapped underneath that rubble for others have been rescued.

Okay, we turn out to Southeast Asia where a powerful typhoon continues on its path of destruction. The storm claiming more than 100 lives and forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate, including in Vietnam and the Philippines, where the government has declared a state of emergency as rescuers search for dozens of people still missing. NBC's Ellison Barber has this one. Tonight, Typhoon Kalmagi tearing through Vietnam and Cambodia. Three fishermen reported missing after their boat was swept away by strong waves as the storm made landfall on Thursday.

The search being suspended due to worsening weather. Adding to a path of destruction that began in the Philippines, at least 114 reported dead, torrential rains. And powerful winds that started on Tuesday, leaving cities up. unrecognizable, water-logged and littered with debris. Residents left helpless. Others narrowly escaping peril, carrying terrified children to safety as water rushes below. Rescuers traversing flooded streets trying to reach those who hadn't yet been swept away.

The view from above showing the devastation. Roads blocked and cars piled on top of one another, leaving survivors trapped. A road sign reads, Help Us. This resident saying, we have lost everything. We don't have a home, we need help. We have no place to sleep, no food, nothing to use. We only have torn clothes. We just need food, rice, anything to eat, but we have nothing. Now some locals waiting through waste deep water,

returning to their homes either flattened or covered in sludge. This woman, building a shack out of debris, doing her best to clean the clothes she could dig out. out from under the rubble for her children. She says all we can do is cry. We can't do anything because that's it. We can just cry. Their homes, the least of their worries.

Mourners faced with the remains of their relatives who perished. This woman saying, I lost my three children, husband, mama, papa, my siblings child, two children of my cousin and my cousin's mother. We were all together on the roof. The roof collapsed. all fell and were washed away. Only four of us survived. Once white sand beaches, now littered with a reminder of the city that used to stand nearby. The president saying they are monitoring an upcoming typhoon that has the potential to be even stronger. Ellison Barber, NBC News.

When we come back, stepping up during the government shutdown, restaurants giving out free meals, a teen handing out hot dogs, and pop-up pantry. how communities are coming together to make sure no one goes hungry. That's next. Finally tonight, as the longest government shutdown grinds on, communities across the country are banding together to help those who've run out of food assistance. Our Sam Brock with a look at the restaurants, sports teams, churches, and neighbors stepping up and stepping in for each other.

Come shop with me for goodies for my local food bank. Across the country. We called our local food pantry, and one of the things they said that they needed was carrots, so we're going to grab some of those. People are stepping up and redefining what community means to them. This little free library is going to be a little free food pantry. In California, Mary Sorocco swapping out paperbacks and bestsellers for pantry staples and snacks. All right. While on the other coast, 17-year-old Jake Procopets serves up free hot dogs to Connecticut children who might otherwise go hungry.

I could really only think about the kids and how they couldn't provide for themselves. Because cooking isn't just nourishment for the body. You're going to fill her right up. For Diana Manala, it's food for American souls. It doesn't matter who you are. If you're hungry, we've got food. At Little Chef Little Cafe, on a small corner in Queens, New York, she's preparing meals for anyone facing a snap benefit shortfall. Cantries are getting whites out faster than they can replenish.

Don't lose hope in people. There's always going to be good people. And you'll find them and they'll find you. Today, Diana and her friends, taking that mission to heart, dropping off soup to veterans, hit hard by the shutdown. A lot of unity and panning together. It's a sense of serving, but so much more than food and why you'll find notes like these on Diana's wall,

reinforcing that love. Sam Brock, NBC News, New York. Neighbors helping neighbors. You got to love it. All right. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there.

More news now on the way.